He sought refuge in the Knightsbridge embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges. But Ecuador abruptly withdrew its asylum and invited the police to arrest Assange on Thursday.

After his dramatic arrest, he was taken to Westminster Magistrates’ Court and found guilty of a British charge of breaching bail. He spent Thursday night in custody and is facing up to 12 months in prison for that conviction.

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Media captionVideo footage shows Julian Assange being dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy in London

With Assange facing extradition proceedings and up to five years in federal prison on the US computer hacking charge, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the UK should resist handing him over.

She said: “This is all about Wikileaks and all of that embarrassing information about the activities of the American military and security services that was made public.”

But she said Assange should face the criminal justice system if the Swedish government charged him.